Electrically heated garment



y 1970 M. T. BASSECHES ET AL 3,519,791

ELECTRICALLY HEATED GARMENT Filed Oct. 23. 1968 FIG./

y Fl6.2

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,519,791 ELECTRICALLY HEATED GARMENT Mark T. Basseches, Pleasantville, and Ely S. Margolis, New Rochelle, N.Y., assignors to Marjorie Margolis, New Rochelle, and Lorraine Shachnow, Riverdale, N.Y.

Filed Oct. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 769,826 Int. Cl. Hb 1/00; H0111 3/00 US. Cl. 219-211 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention is in the field of heated garments.

The prior art The combination of a garment, battery and heating coil is known. Such devices have heretofore been restricted in their application to hunting clothing, arctic wear and the like heavy duty applications. Such devices are cum-bersome and are thus not suitable for use in fashionable garments. The requirement for the use of heavy heating coils and large capacity power supplies therefore have, in large measure, been responsible for the undesirable bulk and weight associated with such garments.

Attempts to provide light weight heated garments have been made but no such garment has been found to be commercially acceptable in situations where appearance is a factor. The lack of commercial success has been due, in part, to the absence of a fool-proof and efficient mechanism for assuring that the batteries will be connected to the heating element only when the garment is in use. This deficiency in known garments is particularly acute when it is desired to provide a heated garment operated by relatively short life dry cell type batteries, as opposed to storage and high capacity batteries whose bulk militates against their use in fashionable garments, such as ladies coats and jackets.

It will be readily recognized that the operating life of a small dry cell type battery, when used in heating applications, will be quite short, in the nature of from four to nine operating hours, depending on the type of 'battery selected. Such batteries, if inadvertently left connected, will be rapidly discharged and, hence, rendered useless for heating purposes.

Additionally, and of particular importance is the fact that certain batteries, if left connected for an undue period of time, tend to disintegrate, permitting leaking of the electrolyte from the battery case. Obviously any such leakage will ruin the appearance of the garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to an improved heated garment of the type having overlapping or mating edges, such as coat. The garment is provided with a heating element operated by relatively low capacity batteries.

To assure against inadvertent draining of the batteries, with consequent damage to the batteries and possibility also to the garment, the garment is provided with fastener means for holding the edges in closed relationship, which fastener means also serve a second function, namely, a switching function. For this purpose, the fastener means preferably include conductors which are electrically connected when the fastener means are engaged with each other in the normal manner required to hold the edges of the garment in body encircling relation.

The conductors are interposed in series connection between the battery and heater element, such that when the conductors are separated by opening of the fastener means, the circuit between the batteries and the heater element is automatically opened. By this means there is provided an automatic safeguard against inadvertent draining of the batteries when the garment is not in use, thus to prevent depletion of the battery power supply and possible destruction of the battery, with resultant leakage of the battery fluid.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved heated garment particularly adapted for use of low capacity heating batteries.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garment of the type described wherein doffing of the garment automatically interrupts the current supply to the heating element.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of a garment having a thin, flexible heating element which does not detract from the usual and normal hand" or feel of the garment.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment, in this instance a coat, incorporating a heating device in accordance with the invention;

, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the circuit components of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary magnified front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention.

Turning now to the drawings, 10 is an essentially conventional coat having free edges 11, 12. Within the coat, in this instance substantially at the waistline of the wearer, there is disposed, either permanently or removably, a heating element 13 next to be described.

' The heating element 13 preferably comprises a thin, flexible plastic matrix or backing 14, such as Mylar, Teflon or the like, which is resistant to dry cleaning and has high tear strength and flexibility. The matrix 14 carries one or more heating elements 15, 16 bonded thereto. Optionally but preferably, the heating elements may be formed on the matrix by a photo-etching process, which process involves the etching away of selected portions of a thin, continuous surface of a metallic resistance material, such as stainless steel, to define circuit paths 15, 16.

By way of illustration and without limitation, the metallic coating may comprise a type 300 stainless steel plated to a thickness of about .001" and etched to define a conductor width of about .025". The length of the conductor is calculated to provide a conductor resistance which is dependent upon the battery source employed. A satisfactory heating effect has been found to be obtained by providing a total resistance of about 1 ohm in each of the circiuts (15, 16 when used with a battery developing 1.5 to 1.9 volts.

Preferably, in accordance with known practice, the flexible matrix may be provided with connector eyelets '17, 18 form-ing the terminals of the conductor path 15, and 19, 20 forming the terminals of conductor path 16. Batteries or battery packs 21, 22 are disposed in an inconspicuous spot within the garment which is readily accessible, to facilitate changing the batteries. By way of example, the batteries 21, 22 are disposed within the coat pockets 23, 24.

In the illustrated embodiment, the positive terimnal of the battery 21 is shown to be connected to eyelet 17 and the positive terminal of battery 22 to eyelet 19.

An important feature of the invention lies in the provision of automatic switch mechanism which will complete the circuit from the batteries through the conductor paths only when the garment is worn and will interrupt the circuit when the garment is doffed. This result is achieved in the embodiment of FIG. 1 by the provision of a belt 25 which fastens the garment in its closed position and which includes a buckle portion 26, having a conductive tongue 27 forming a portion of the switch.

The belt 25, at its other end 26, is provided with a series of conductive eyelets 28 which are electrically connected to each other. From the foregoing it will be readily recognized that when the tongue 27 is inserted into one of the holes 28, the switch defined by these fastener elements will be closed.

The tongue 27 is connected to negative terminals of batteries 21, 22 by connectors 29, 30, respectively. In a similar fashion, the eyelets 28 are connected to terminals 18 and 20 by conductors 31, 32, respectively.

From the foregoing it will be evident that when the eyelets 28 are disengaged from the tongue 27, the negative terminals of the batteries will be unconnected and no current flow will be possible. Conversely, when the tongue 27 is inserted into one of the eyelets 28, there is provided the equivalent of a closed switch arrangement whereby the circuits through the heater elements 15, 16 are completed.

Since inevitably the wearer of a garment will undo the buckle to permit removal of the garment, it will be seen that an interruption of the circuit is the automatic result of removing the garment.

In FIG. 3 there is shown a variation of the concept in which a conductor 33 is electrically connected to an an nular conductor ring 34 on the rear face of a button. A second conductor 35 is secured to a conductor portion 36 forming a part or boundary of a buttonhole or loop 37. In this embodiment, it will be obvious that when the button is disposed within the buttonhole in the usual manner, conductors 33 and 35 will be connected, and the connection between said conductors will be opened when the button is removed from the buttonhole.

The connection between the conductors 33 and 35 to control the current flow within the heater element will be obvious from the description of the preceding embodiment.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that there is provided an improved heated garment wherein inadvertent or undesired current flow is automatically prevented by an action of the wearer which is normal, usual and necessary in removing the garment. The importance of the automatic current shut off is magnified by the fact that a wearer may readily forget that the garment he is wearing is being heated and, in the absence of an automatic switch arrangement, may absentmindedly store the garment without disconnecting the batteries.

It will be appreciated further that the resistance of the heater must be selected in accordance with the batteries employed. While two or more ordinary D cell batteries have been determined to be satisfactory and will provide about three hours of total useful heating, it has been determined that the so-called magnesium dry cell is a superior battery, the cells having an output of about 1.9 volts each, a pair of such cells being capable of providing a meaningful heating capacity for about seven to nine hours. Additionally, the magnesium cell has a particularly long shelf life without deterioration or loss of electrical properties.

The heating element described is particularly desirable since it may be fabricated of a very thin plastic matrix which will not interfere with the normal feel of the garment. The matrix is preferably fabricated of materials which are resistant to laundering and/or dry cleaning processes, and it is thus possible permanently to secure the heating element to the garment.

Optionally, it is feasible to removably connect the heater element to the garment, as by snap fasteners, zippers and like expedients.

While the heater element of the illustrated embodiment comprises a band-like insert disposed slightly above the waist portion of the wearer, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the 'use of this form or location, it being contemplated to provide other types of heating elements located at other positions within the garment.

While the illustrated embodiment is shown as comprising two separate heater circuits superimposed in one general area, the invention is not to be taken as limited to such construction, although it provides the advatnage of the use of one or two batteries separately, so as to provide a degree of temperature control to suit a variety of temperature conditions.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A garment such as a coat having free edges forming a closure, an electrical resistance heater element incorporated in said garment in heat transfer relation to the body of a wearer, first and second complemental fastener means on said garment shiftable between engaged and disengaged positions, respectively, to hold said free edges in body encircling, closed position, or to release said edges to an open position to permit dofling said garment, first and second conductors operatively associated with said first and second fastener means, respectively, said conductors together forming a switch which is closed in said engaged position of said fastener means and open in said disengaged position of said means, and a battery member connected in series with said conductors and said heater element whereby the circuit between said battery and heater element is closed in the engaged position of said fasteners and open in said disengaged position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,287,915 6/1942 Taylor 219-211 2,802,073 8/1957 Simons.

2,877,439 3/ 1959 Avery.

3,407,818 10/1968 Costanzo 219211 JOSEPH V. TRUHE, Primary Examiner PETER W. GOWDEY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 200-166 

